I started cooking as a child while helping my mother entertain. It came easy to me and was something that I was good at. I started cooking professionally in the early 90's after attending Culinary School as a second career. After many years in food distribution I changed careers again and became a Personal Chef. Now I get to cook every day and meet all sorts of interesting poeple. I've always loved the K.I.S.S. principal. Meals that take a long time are wonderful but not realistic in our fast paced society. Now making a great meal in 30 minutes or less that taste, look and smell great that's something special. So 30 minutes or less is my specialty. Having been raised in a non Kosher Jewish home I have always had a special thing for that food group. It's varied and tasty although a little bit on the heavy side. Traditional Eastern European Jewish recipes call for rendered chiken fat; as it was the most abundant, least expensive and tastiest ways of cooking food. The essence of the onions aroma wafting in the air still sticks to my mind. The results of a cooled down bowl of chicken fat is rich and creamy solid mass. Before refrigeration it looks like orange juice. My dad drank some one day and we all had a great laugh. Anyway today my business takes me into all sorts of homes. However I really love preparing the traditional Jewish Fare. Just recently I did a dinner sampling for 20 discerning women from my Temple Sisterhood. I was looking for critiques on the recipes that I was experimenting with along with their impressions as to how the food was presented. I didn't have one single negative comment. I was surprised at the outcome but pleased that everyone liked the recipes. Everyone recieved copies of all the recipes I prepared and generally had a great time that evening. Trying to combine everything in a pot but the kitchen sink to make an under 30 minute meal. The dish was barley, stew meat and mushrooms. The problem was that the barley absorbed all the moisture in the pot and burnt the bottom of my pot beyond help. Electric cooking is the worst. The heating elements are hard to regulate. I should not be blaming the electric stove but having grown up with gas burners you get kind of spoiled.